Charleston, S.C., City Code ch. 25, art. III, div. 3 — REGULATIONS AND PENALTIES | Code of the City of Charleston, South Carolina (Supp. No. 115: codified through Ordinance No. 2026-092, enacted May 26, 2026) — City of Charleston

Charleston, S.C., City Code § 25-52 First amendment demonstration regulations.

Sec. 25-52. - First amendment demonstration regulations. (a) Notwithstanding the twenty-five (25) person threshold for First Amendment demonstration permits required in Division 2 of this article, the following regulations shall apply to First Amendment demonstrations and spontaneous gatherings of any size: (1) It shall be unlawful for demonstrations to disrupt, block, obstruct or interfere with pedestrian or vehicular traffic or the free passage of pedestrian or vehicular traffic on or into any driveway, sidewalk, public right-of-way, building, pedestrian entrance, stairway, ramp, or other access to buildings, which abut the public sidewalks. (2) It shall be unlawful for a demonstration to occur within fifteen (15) feet from the outermost edge of any monument or memorial, to include fountains, sculptures, plaques, statues, markers, gazebos, objects and other architectural elements or structures with commemorative, historical, symbolic, aesthetic, or artistic significance in order to preserve the intended use of a monument or memorial and to ensure all persons' use and enjoyment and safe and unimpeded ingress and egress to and from such property. (3) It shall be unlawful for a demonstration to remain stationary in front of or to pass repeatedly by an individual's residence or dwelling. (4) It shall be unlawful during a demonstration to place any structure, enclosure, tent, tables, chairs, bicycles, motor vehicles, golf carts, mopeds or other equipment on any city property, or park any bicycles, motor vehicles, golf carts, mopeds or other equipment, except in designated parking spots and except as specifically authorized by the permit. (5) It shall be unlawful during a demonstration to remove, deface, damage, or otherwise injure any structure, sign, fence, equipment, improvement, monument or memorial, to include fountains, sculptures, plaques, statues, markers, gazebos, objects and other architectural elements or structures, including hanging, attaching or placing signs, flags, placards or any other object of any kind on such city property. (6) It shall be unlawful during a demonstration to walk, stand, sit, lie, or climb upon any wall, fence, shelter, tree, shrub, or other vegetation, or any structure, monument or memorial, to include fountains, sculptures, plaques, statues, markers, gazebos, objects and other architectural elements not designed or intended for such purposes. (7) It shall be unlawful during a demonstration to damage landscaping, plantings, flowers, trees, shrubs, grass, ground cover or other vegetation located on city property. (8) It shall be unlawful during a demonstration to enter onto private property without prior written permission from the property owner. (9) It shall be unlawful during a demonstration to enter onto federal, state, or county property without prior written permission from the applicable governmental agency. (10) It shall be unlawful for any participant of a demonstration to harass or intimidate any bystanders; it shall also be unlawful for any participant to interfere with the movement of nonparticipants, including ingress or egress to or from any city building, driveway, stairway, ramp, sidewalk, public right-of-way, monument or memorial, to include fountains, sculptures, plaques, statues, markers, gazebos, objects and other architectural elements or structures. (11) Participants of a demonstration shall comply with lawful directions or instructions set forth on any sign posted pursuant to law or by the city for or in connection with the event. (12) Participants of a demonstration shall abide by city park rules if the demonstration is held in a city park and shall not interfere with the intended use of the park or interrupt the reasonable use and enjoyment of the park by non-participants. (13) Participants of a demonstration shall abide by and be subject to all local, state and federal laws, ordinances, and regulations and any directions given by a law enforcement officer. (b) Nothing in this section prohibits a law enforcement officer from issuing a command to disperse in the event of a riot, breach of the peace, disorderly conduct or other unlawful assembly. (c) Nothing in this subsection shall preclude the city from enforcing other laws, ordinances, or regulations. (d) Nothing in this section is intended to restrict free speech or any other constitutional right. (Ord. No. 2021-105, § 1, 7-29-21)

Charleston, S.C., City Code § 25-53 Authority of chief of police.

Sec. 25-53. - Authority of chief of police. (a) The chief of police shall have the authority to restrict First Amendment demonstrations from certain areas if conditions present a potential harm or threat to the public's safety, the free passage of pedestrian or vehicular traffic, or the unimpeded ingress and egress to and from city buildings, monuments or memorials, to include fountains, sculptures, plaques, statues, markers, gazebos, objects and other architectural elements or structures, and any such restricted areas shall be subject to modification by the chief of police at any time. (b) The chief of police shall have the authority to make reasonable adjustments in the date, time, frequency, duration, route, location, or manner of a First Amendment demonstration at any time in order to accommodate other concurrent demonstrations, special events or city events, the rights of adjacent property owners, the needs of the public to use city streets or parks, and pedestrian and/or vehicular traffic using public rights-of-way and sidewalks, to prevent interference with the intended use of city parks or facilities by other groups or individuals, or with the tranquility of the neighborhood surrounding the area, or when the chief of police finds it is in the best interest of the public health, safety and welfare of the city and its citizens. The chief of police in his discretion may deny, reschedule, or provide alternate conditions for a permit to achieve this end. (Ord. No. 2021-105, § 1, 7-29-21)

Charleston, S.C., City Code § 25-54 Counter-protesting; competing groups at same location.

Sec. 25-54. - Counter-protesting; competing groups at same location. (a) Counter-protestors are subject to the same permit requirements in Division 2 and all other regulations and requirements provided in this article. (b) If more than one group desire to hold a First Amendment demonstration at the same time at or near the same location, the chief of police shall have the authority to assign each group a designated area in order to preserve the public peace, and said assignment may involve the use of physical barriers for separation. Members of a group shall not enter an area assigned to another group. Priority of location shall be based upon which group submitted a permit application first, or, if no permit was required, priority shall be based upon which group arrived first at the location; provided, however, if one group's demonstration is a repeat event occurring more than one rime per month, the chief of police shall have the authority to alternate the group's assigned area with any other group requesting the same location. (Ord. No. 2021-105, § 1, 7-29-21)

Charleston, S.C., City Code § 25-55 Penalties.

Sec. 25-55. - Penalties. Any person who violates any provision of this article, to include any conditions or provisions of a First Amendment demonstration permit, shall be subject to the penalties set forth in section 1-16 of the Code of the City of Charleston. (Ord. No. 2021-105, § 1, 7-29-21)